Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a silicone nucleus implant, arranged between a superjacent vertebra and an underlying vertebra of a spinal segment, constituting an intervertebral bracing device that absorbs shocks and ensures the mobility of the functional unit formed by said vertebrae.
Description of the Related Art
The deterioration of the nucleus is generally the first factor that leads to deterioration of the disk, and consequently of the joint facets. This deterioration can cause hernias, and this problem is often treated by nucleotomy.
However, although the pain disappears in immediate post-op, the loss of height of the disk and the hyper-mobility of the consecutive segment gradually accentuate the deterioration of the spinal segment, with pain reappearing and sometimes with deterioration of the adjacent stages.
Early nucleus replacement for such patients may be an effective alternative to total replacement of the disk or fusion of the segment.
In fact, maintaining a sufficient intervertebral height with quasi-normal mobility may impart a certain degree of stability to the segment, thereby slowing or even stopping deterioration phenomena.
Known from international patent application WO 2009/130417, belonging to the applicant, is a nucleus implant having at least one filling element having at least one continuous filament which is arranged inside a nucleus pulposus space obtained after nucleotomy of the intervertebral disk, and which follows a ring-shaped profile, and of which the stack of spirals delimits a central inner space that is filled with a product such as a gel or paste, a fiber-based product, or an injectable viscoelastic material.
It will be noted that this type of implant has problems with gradually migrating toward the medullary channel during repeated extension flexion movements of said vertebrae of the spinal segment, since the implant is not connected or attached to the body of the corresponding vertebrae.